Method of Creating Living Space with Added Ambient Sound, Retractable Awning with Source of Sound Beneath Awning Canopy, and Head for Retractable Awning Having a Speaker

ABSTRACT

A method of creating a living space beneath an awning with added ambient sound, a retractable awning with added ambient sound and a head for a retractable awning having a speaker. The awning has a canopy secured to an awning roller with the roller mounted between opposite awning heads. A speaker is mounted in at least one of the heads for directing sound away from the head. In a retracted position of the awning, sound is directed away from the living space created beneath the awning when it is deployed, and in the deployed position with the awning extended, sound is directed into the living space.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention is directed to awnings, and particularly to a method ofcreating a living space beneath an awning with added ambient sound, aretractable awning therefor, and a head for a retractable awning with aspeaker.

Retractable awnings are used to protect a living space formed beneaththe awning when it is extended. While the invention is described inrelation to an awning having particular utility in relation to arecreational vehicle, it can also be used in connection with an awningon a structure, such as an awning extensible over a patio.

In such awnings, a flexible, typically fabric, canopy is secured at oneend to a wall and has an opposite end secured to a roller. The roller issupported at its ends by heads connected to support arms which aredisplaceable between an extended position for the awning, where theawning is deployed, and a retracted position, where the awning is rolledonto the roller for storage.

Awnings are usually extended in a fairly horizontal manner so as toprovide a maximum living space beneath the awning canopy when it isextended. That living space is often used extensively by the occupantsof a recreational vehicle.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention is directed to a method of creating a living space beneathan awning with added ambient sound directed into the living space. Themethod comprises forming a deployable awning with opposite heads, havinga deployed position and a retracted position. A source of sound isinstalled proximate at least one of the heads, with the source of soundbeing directed away from the living space in the retracted position.When the awning is extended to the deployed position, the source ofsound is directed into the living space beneath the awning.

In accordance with this form of the invention, the source of soundcomprises a speaker located in at least one of the heads and projectingsound from an opening in the head, with the opening being directedtoward the living space in the deployed position of the awning. In theretracted position, sound is directed above the living space.

The retractable awning according to the invention includes a speakermounted at a mounting position on at least one of the heads, with thespeaker directing sound from the mounting position away from the head.The speaker is positioned and the head is formed so that in theretracted position sound is directed away from the living space, and inthe deployed position sound is directed into the living space. Inaccordance with the preferred form of the invention, the mountingposition is an opening in the head, with the speaker being located inthe opening.

The head has an awning head body, with an attachment segment forsecuring the awning head body to an awning support arm. An opening isformed in the awning head body, and the speaker is located in theopening, with the speaker projecting sound out of the awning head body.

Preferably the attachment segment comprises an attachment memberextending from the awning head body. The speaker is mounted so that itextends within the awning head body.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention is described in greater detail in the followingdescription of examples embodying the best mode of the invention, takenin conjunction with the drawing figures, in which:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a recreational vehicle having an awningaccording to the invention, with the awning retracted,

FIG. 2 is an isometric view similar to FIG. 1, but with the awningpartially extended,

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 1, but with the awning fully extendedto a deployed position,

FIG. 4 is an enlarged end elevational view of the recreational vehicleillustrated in FIG. 3, further showing the awning in the deployedposition,

FIG. 5 is an enlarged illustration of an awning head according to theinvention when in the retracted position shown in FIG. 1,

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5, but generally in the position shownin FIG. 2,

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 5, but with the awning shown generallyin the position shown in FIG. 3,

FIG. 8 is an enlarged isometric view of one form of a head for aretractable awning according to the invention, and

FIG. 9 is a front elevational view of the head shown in FIG. 8.

DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLES EMBODYING THE BEST MODE OF THE INVENTION

A recreational vehicle 10 having an awning 12 according to the inventionas shown generally in FIGS. 1-4. The recreational vehicle forms no partof the invention, and although the recreational vehicle 10 is generallydepicted as a motor home, it will be evident that the recreationalvehicle 10 can be any type of recreational vehicle, whetherself-propelled or not. The recreational vehicle 10 will therefore not bedescribed in greater detail.

The awning 12 is a typical deployable awning with opposite heads 14 and16 mounting an awning roller. Except for the heads 14 and 16, the awningcan made of any of a number of different types of awnings, and one formof awning is disclosed in co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No.13/523,559, filed Jun. 14, 2012, the disclosure of which is incorporatedherein by reference.

The awning 12 includes a canopy 18 secured to an awning roller 20extending between the opposite heads 14 and 16. Each of the heads 14 and16, in turn, is secured to arms of a support system 22, which isdescribed in greater detail in incorporated application Ser. No.13/523,559. The support system 22 mounts the awning 12 for extension orretraction between a retracted position shown in FIG. 1 with the canopy18 rolled onto the roller 20 and deployed position shown in FIGS. 3 and4 with the canopy 18 at least partially unrolled from the roller 20 tocreate a living space 24, as best shown in FIG. 4. While the livingspace 24 preferably is the area beneath the canopy 18 when unrolled tothe deployed position illustrated in the drawing figures, since thatarea is protected by the overhead canopy 18, it will be evident that theliving space can be somewhat greater or smaller than that depicted inthe drawing figures, as desired by the persons utilizing the awning 12.

As will be known to persons skilled in the art, the heads 14 and 16 canbe essentially identical, performing the functions of extending andretracting the awning 12. It is preferred that each of the heads 14 and16 include added ambient sound, as described in greater detail below,although it will be evident that only one of the heads 14 and 16 can beso-equipped. Equipping both heads 14 and 16, however, provides theability to project stereophonic sound in a well-known fashion.Therefore, when the heads are being described in FIGS. 5-9, while onlythe head 16 is actually depicted, the description of the head 16 is alsorelevant to the head 14.

The head 16 includes an awning head body 26. An attachment segment, inthe form of an attachment member 28, extends from the awning head body26 for securing within an arm 30 of the support system 22. The heads 14and 16, and the attachment members 28 can be formed of variousmaterials, such as molded plastic, and the heads 14 and 16 can be madeof multiple pieces, as required.

The head 16 includes an opening 32 in which a speaker 34 is mounted,with the body of the speaker 34 extending into the head 16. The speaker34 can be mounted in any conventional fashion, and preferably extendswithin the head 16 so that sound emitted from the speaker 34 is directedout of the awning body 26 through the opening 32.

The speaker 34 may be conventional, and preferably is a wired speakerconnected to a source of electrical signals for producing soundprojecting from the speaker 34, with wires passing from the awning headbody 26 into the arm 30 and thence into the recreational vehicle 10.Alternatively, the speakers 34 can be wireless. The means of supplyingelectrical signals to the speakers 34, such as a radio or CD player, isconventional, and is therefore not described in greater detail.

While, in the preferred form of the invention, the speaker 34 is in theheads 14 and 16, the speaker 34, or an additional speaker or speakers,can also be located on or in the arms of the support system 22. Thespeakers must be aimed into the living space 24 when the awning 12 isdeployed.

The heads 14 and 16 also can include an aperture 36 for access to theinterior of the heads should manual extension or retraction of theawning 12 be required, if there is an electrical failure. A cap 38 isused to seal the aperture 36. The heads 14 and 16 may also include anaesthetic indentation 40 which may include a logo or label (notillustrated), as desired.

In the method of creating the living space 24 beneath the awning 12 withadded ambient sound directed into the living space 24, the awning 12 isfirst located in the retracted position shown in FIG. 1. As the awning12 is extended to the deployed position shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, thespeakers 34 move from a position with sound directed away from theliving space 24 until the awning is extended to the deployed positionshown in FIGS. 3 and 4, with sound emanating from the speaker 34 intothe living space 24. When the awning 12 is retracted as shown in FIGS. 1and 5, sound from the speaker 34 is directed above and away from theliving space 24. Only when the awning 12 is extended to the deployedposition shown in FIGS. 3 and 7 is the speaker 34 aimed toward theliving space 24. Thus, depending on the geometry of the awning 12 andthe extent of its deployed position, the opening 32 is formed in theheads 14 and 16 such that, in the deployed position, the speaker 34extends toward, and projects sound into, the living space 24.

Various changes can be made to the invention without departing from thespirit thereof or scope of the following claims.

1. A method of creating a living space beneath an awning with addedambient sound directed into the living space comprising the steps of a.forming a deployable awning with opposite heads, said awning having adeployed position and a retracted position, b. installing a source ofsound proximate at least one of said heads, with said source of sounddirected away from the living space in the retracted position, and c.extending said awning to the deployed position with said source of sounddirected into the living space.
 2. The method according to claim 1, inwhich the source of sound comprises a speaker located in said head andprojecting sound from an opening in said head, and in which method step“c” includes directing said opening toward the living space.
 3. Themethod according to claim 1, in which in method step “b” sound isdirected above the living space.
 4. The method according to claim 1, inwhich the source of sound is mounted in an opening in said head.
 5. In aretractable awning having an awning canopy secured to an awning roller,the roller being mounted in opposite heads, the heads being secured toarms movable between a retracted position with the canopy rolled on theroller and a deployed position with the canopy at least partiallyunrolled from the roller to create a living space beneath the awning,the improvement comprising a. a speaker mounted at a mounting positionproximate at least one of the heads, said speaker directing sound fromsaid mounting position away from said head, and b. said speaker beingpositioned so that in the retracted position sound is directed away fromthe living space, and in the deployed position sound is directed intothe living space.
 6. The retractable awning according to claim 5, inwhich said mounting position comprises an opening in said head, saidspeaker being located in said opening.
 7. A head for a retractableawning, comprising a. an awning head body, b. an attachment segment forsecuring said awning head body to an awning support arm, c. an openingin said awning head body, and d. a speaker located in said opening, saidspeaker having a source of sound directed out of said awning head body.8. The head according to claim 7, in which said attachment segmentcomprises an attachment member extending from said awning head body. 9.The head according to claim 7, in which said speaker has a body whichextends within said awning head body.
 10. The head according to claim 7,in which said source of sound is directed through said opening.